We were up pretty early, anxious to get on the road to Matlacha but not wanting to be in any hurry. Marilee and I followed the scent of freshly brewed coffee and shuffled into the kitchen where Liz was busy playing hostess by laying out a small breakfast buffet of fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls. We sat down at the breakfast bar to eat a bite and talk about the drive down.
After breakfast, we all pitched in and tidied up the kitchen and then went back to our rooms to change into some comfortable travel clothes. All three kayaks were loaded in the trailer. Our luggage and fishing gear were covered in garbage bags, because there was a high chance of rain, and then neatly organized in the bed of the truck leaving enough room in the cab for a fairly comfortable three to four hour ride. By 8:30 a.m. we were fueled up with a full take and officially on-our-way! Dot, who was also part of our original travel troupe was unable to join us for the group drive down. She would meet us in Matlacha later in the afternoon.
After breakfast, we all pitched in and tidied up the kitchen and then went back to our rooms to change into some comfortable travel clothes. All three kayaks were loaded in the trailer. Our luggage and fishing gear were covered in garbage bags, because there was a high chance of rain, and then neatly organized in the bed of the truck leaving enough room in the cab for a fairly comfortable three to four hour ride. By 8:30 a.m. we were fueled up with a full take and officially on-our-way! Dot, who was also part of our original travel troupe was unable to join us for the group drive down. She would meet us in Matlacha later in the afternoon.
Lunch Time
The Friday morning drive down south was fairly uneventful for the most part. The traffic was light and the weather was perfect. We only slowed down or stopped for two reasons: toll booths, of which there were more than I expected, and potty stops. Other than that, it was a straight shot to Matlacha.
It was noon by the time we took a right hand turn onto Pine Island Road. We were only about three miles from our hotel but check-in wasn't until 3:00 so we all agreed to stop at the first decent looking restaurant we came upon and have a bite to eat before reaching our destination. That eatery happened to be Miceli's Restaurant. We pulled into the parking lot and maneuvered the truck and trailer so it wouldn't be in anyone's way and then walked inside. The first thing we noticed as we were greeted by the hostess was the glass case displaying all of their decadent desserts. If our eyes could talk, they would've said, "Let's bypass lunch and just order a sampler of desserts". The hostess escorted us out to the back patio where they offered outside dining and led us to a table. It was quite breezy so we had to hold on to our napkins but the scenery next to a canal gave us a nice view. It had a very relaxing atmosphere.
It was noon by the time we took a right hand turn onto Pine Island Road. We were only about three miles from our hotel but check-in wasn't until 3:00 so we all agreed to stop at the first decent looking restaurant we came upon and have a bite to eat before reaching our destination. That eatery happened to be Miceli's Restaurant. We pulled into the parking lot and maneuvered the truck and trailer so it wouldn't be in anyone's way and then walked inside. The first thing we noticed as we were greeted by the hostess was the glass case displaying all of their decadent desserts. If our eyes could talk, they would've said, "Let's bypass lunch and just order a sampler of desserts". The hostess escorted us out to the back patio where they offered outside dining and led us to a table. It was quite breezy so we had to hold on to our napkins but the scenery next to a canal gave us a nice view. It had a very relaxing atmosphere.
By the time we were done with lunch and walking out the door, the parking lot was PACKED !!! It was a good thing we got there when we did! We were now ready to find our hotel and get unloaded and situated.
Checking In
As we approached the Inn's property we were immediately concerned about the lack of parking. Little did we know that there was only enough parking spaces for approximately eight vehicles - and that's a generous estimation. It was literally impossible to park my truck and trailer without blocking in three or more cars, but I had to park somewhere in order to check-in. Double parking was my only option. I just kept my fingers crossed that checking-in would be a speedy process, which, of course never is.
Bridgewater Inn Hospitality
I walked inside and was greeted by Bob & Diane, the Inn's owners / managers who proceeded to pull up our reservations. While the paperwork was being processed, I was delighted to learn that even though we were two hours early, our room was ready and we'd be able to get our key immediately. They had also put an extra cot in the room for us so we each would have a little elbow-room at beddy-bye time. That was very cool!
But I still had to solve the parking problem. I expressed my concern to Diane and Bob about parking my trailer and was even more surprised when Bob offered to let me park the trailer at his personal residence which was only five houses from the Inn. He even went so far as to escort us down there and stop on-coming traffic so that I could back the trailer into his driveway. That's how tight the parking areas are in Matlacha. Compact cars and bicycles rule!!! Once the trailer was parked and locked, we drove back the Inn, unloaded our luggage and gear and relaxed for a bit. There was still so much to do before the sun went down and we didn't want to waste a single minute of daylight.
Rod holders in every room - very nice !!
Time for a Walk-About
Now that we were done unpacking, our bodies were telling us to just fall back on the couch or bed and take a power nap, but our brains were saying, "So much to do - so little time, get out there and explore the Island." So that's what we did. We walked across the Matlacha Pass draw bridge and chatted with a few of the locals about their catches. They were all willing to share a story or two.
The Island was peppered with condos and cottages for rent. We saw quite a few that we wouldn't mind looking into for a future visit.
This was the first mural that we noticed on our walk. How could you NOT notice artwork this exotic? We soon learned that these are these are the official colors of the Matlacha art world.
Matlacha Community Park - click here for more info
One of the most well thought out, developed and maintained county park we've ever seen. It had everything....including a $10.00 / day parking fee.
Arial view of the park
Marilee is going ahead and checking out the kayak launch site at the park. This Park is just a quarter mile from The Bridgewater Inn where we were staying.
The kayak launch site complete with indoor/outdoor carpet right down to the water for a smooth slide into the water. Excellent idea!!
Liz and Marilee are talking to a few of the locals fishing on a small dock next to the kayak launch site.
The canal leads out to the south side of Matlacha Pass. The day we three went kayak fishing, we paddled all the way across the Pass to the mangrove line you see in the far distance.
Marilee spotted this really cool looking tree as we were walking away from the kayak launch area. We couldn't resist a photo.
This is the official 'Matlacha Community Park Fishing Pier'. Marilee is pointing out where The Bridgewater Inn is. You can't miss it's distinctive red roof. That red roof was a great visual land-mark when we were kayaking on the other side of the Pass.
We thought this guy was injured but the local fella, here says he's a regular just waiting for a hand-out.
He wasn't too impressed by my camera, but at least he didn't fly away.
You can see in the far distance what Marilee was pointing at in the earlier picture. It's the red roof of the Bridgewater Inn, where we were staying.
This is the boat ramp where you are prohibited to use the motor to maneuver your boat of and/or on the trailer.
Let's start with the ART
As we strolled through the heart and soul of Matlacha, their quirky little art galleries and retail shops, we noticed a reoccurring theme: the four main colors of choice are sunshine yellow, fuchsia, lime green and bright blue, with a little purple thrown in here and there. You'll see what we mean as you scroll through some of the pictures below.
Matlacha Menageri - click here for website link
You can see in this picture of the Matlacha Menagerie's auxiliary stores what a tight fit everything seems to be. But it's well worth it!
Wild Child Art Gallery - click here for link
Of all the art galleries and gift shops we visited that weekend, two stood out among the rest for very distinctive reasons. The first was the Wild Child Art Gallery where there is an official greeter at the entrance with a brief description of what this gallery is all about, that being LOCAL ARTISTS ONLY. There are certain criteria that a local Florida artist has to meet before they can have their artwork displayed in this store. Nothing imported and trying to be passed off to the tourists as local art. That was impressive. Not to mention that the art inside this building was nothing short of AMAZING. We were disappointed only in the fact that we banned from taking pictures of the artwork, which is, of course, understandable. So we went back several times over the course of the weekend because there was just so much visual stimulation that we couldn't absorb it all in one pass-through.
Marilee making friends with Just-A-Bit, the gallery's four-legged greeter.
This is Dave. He plays for tips right outside of the gallery. He's pretty good, too!
Leoma Lovegrove - Impressionist Painter click here for link
The other art gallery that impressed us very much was Leoma Lovegrove's place. Just walking into her shop gives you this sense of peace and excitement all at the same time. The bright colors that she uses just pop out from the canvas and it makes you wish you had a room in your home big enough to hold every piece of work she's ever created....and that was just the feeling you got when you were inside the shop. Walking through the doorway that leads to her backyard court-yard on a canal catapulted you to the next level of a fusion of pop-art and tranquility. Hard to describe but it'll make you want to pull up a chair and sit back there for the rest of the day. My only suggestion would be that the Girl Scouts set up a cookie-&-lemonade stand back there and rake in the coin!! It would work, I assure you.
All of the signature colors of Matlacha
We continued on our own little self-guided tour of Matlacha and as we exited the threshold of Lovegrove's own little piece of Paradise, we walked next door to another art gallery/trinket shop and browsed around there a bit. As we were making our way out, we noticed a detour doorway that led to a small, in-house ice-cream stand called Great Licks Ice Cream. Shameless marketing ploy - but it worked. We suddenly developed a craving for ice-cream - go figure!!
Home of the Osprey
Upon leaving the ice-cream shop and heading toward yet another little local boutique, we notice several people were huddled together looking and pointing upwards. Our heads, out of reflex and curiosity, naturally turned in that direction. What was so interesting? What was every body looking at? Seems an osprey, of which there are hundreds of in Matlacha, had snagged a him/herself a fish, positioned itself on top of a nearby light post and began to devour said fish with a human audience who was appreciating the spectacle of it all. It was a beautiful sight to see.
Then the phone rang.
Island wanderings continued for the next couple of hours as we roamed in and out of most of the stores, shops and specialty boutique pointing at this, that and the other. In the middle of Liz's making the difficult decision about whether to try on the light blue or dark blue denim jeans, the cell phone rings. YAY - It's Dot (the fourth of our group who wasn't able to make the drive down with us). She's made it to the Inn and is anxious to get her luggage in the room. We all put back what pieces of merchandise we had in our hands and were considering buying, much to the disappointment of the shop owner, I might add, and high-tailed it back to the hotel, but not before Liz grabbed up a couple of "Guide to the Arts on Pine Island" booklets for us all. It was now time for the Friday Night to officially begin!!
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